


i'll do you one better

by lizalilac



Series: Shuake Week 2020 [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - No Personas (Persona Series), Bad Pick-Up Lines, First Dates, First Meetings, Getting Together, M/M, Shuake Week 2020, Social Media, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Twitter, coded tweets and messages, prompt is kinda loosely tied to the fic but hey its okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27562357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizalilac/pseuds/lizalilac
Summary: Shuake Week 2020 Day 2 - Corruption / Masks /GamesSee, his day usually didn’t include having someone pick a fight with him in a Twitter thread.Though, to be fair, there was always room for firsts in his life. And more importantly, he was not about to ignore how wrong this guy was! Avoiding cats just because of their claws?(In which Ren and Goro debate the superiority of dogs over cats and turn pick-up lines into a battle.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Shuake Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016964
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42
Collections: Marigolds Discord Recs





	i'll do you one better

**Author's Note:**

> **  
>  PLEASE TURN CREATOR'S WORKSKIN ON BEFORE READING   
>  **
> 
> All the art in here was drawn by my friend [Pen](https://twitter.com/PentheDragon), please go show her some love!

Ren’s days usually started like this.

University burn out affected him terribly, so waking up at the ungodly hour of 4 PM to make up for all of those years of getting up at six in the morning wasn’t out of the ordinary. Coupled with the fact that he spent about an hour every day responding to messages that he missed while he was asleep, then scrolling through Twitter aimlessly, it meant that he tended to start his day pretty late. It’d probably appall anyone who had a remotely healthy sleep schedule, but it worked for him.

His timeline was pretty boring today, obviously he hadn’t missed too much. However, there were some rare gems, such as this incredibly cute cat that someone posted about. It really was beautiful, but he couldn’t remember the name of the breed. The darker spot on its face was particularly charming, and those blue eyes were beyond gorgeous. Its fur looked so sleek and smooth, too. Obviously very well taken care of. He took a look at the username out of pure curiosity, and— oh!

RISETTE @ comeback tour!✔@l_amoureux

guess who got a new buddy today !!! <3333

❤ 17K 7:23 AM • July 27, 20XX

8K people are talking about this

Awe, so she did go through with getting a cat after all! He saw that she’d been mulling over it for a while but mentioned being unable to take care of one as long as idol work kept her busy, but it seems she caved anyways. He felt gentle paws stepping on his arm, forcing him to leave his chest open as a seat for little Morgana.

 _Well, I’ve got a cute kitten of my own,_ he thought to himself with a small chuckle. He scratched gently under Morgana’s chin, who immediately began purring and nuzzling into his touch. _Really, really cute._

He took a quick pic with his phone, continuing to pet the cat with his other hand so Morgana wouldn’t run off suddenly. He took a quick look at it to see if it looks good, then pulled up a new reply to Risette’s tweet.

akiwa kuwusu  
@jokersjest

replying to @l_amoureux

he’s so cute !! mine’s cuter tho

❤ 0 5:16 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

After he sent it, he put down his phone and pulled Morgana closer to his chest so he could bury his face into his fur, leaving a tiny kiss behind. He adopted Morgana on a whim while he was in his second year of university, as he needed something to keep him from absolutely _losing it_ over his workload. It worked, too – Morgana’s presence always made him feel so much better.

It was already so damn late, but it wouldn’t hurt to stay here and cuddle with Morgana just a little bit longer. Almost as if he was recharging his batteries. He was already in a good enough mood though, so he supposed it was more just… a matter of keeping them at 100%.

Five minutes might’ve passed, maybe even ten or fifteen. He had no clue. In fact, he almost drifted back to sleep because of how warm Morgana was – the gentle purring didn’t help his case either. He forced himself to wake up again though, muffling a yawn into his hand as he grabbed his phone again to distract himself.

Huh. A notification from twitter?

He clicked on it, only to find that someone replied to _his_ reply on Risette’s post.

Crow  
@castlingcrows

replying to @jokersjest

How can you handle keeping your cat on your chest like that? Does it not scratch you to hell and back?? I’d personally just settle for a dog instead of having to invest in a bunch of bandages to go through daily.

❤ 0 5:22 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

What.

See, his day usually didn’t include having someone pick a fight with him in a Twitter thread.

Though, to be fair, there was always room for firsts in his life. And more importantly, he was not about to ignore how _wrong_ this guy was! Avoiding cats just because of their claws?

He could say that’s… pre _paw_ sterous.

Ugh, not the time for bad puns, Ren.

akiwa kuwusu  
@jokersjest

replying to @castlingcrows

I??? first of all why would you not like cats just bc they scratch you like. yes it hurts a bit but they’re such lovely pets otherwise!! sometimes that’s how they show their love and other times its bc they’re scared, plus I think dogs are too loud??? idk to each their own

❤ 0 5:29 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

Ren sighed quietly, burying his face into his pillow before realizing that he still had his glasses on and that they were starting to creak beneath his head. He quickly tossed them off and onto the other side of the bed, pretending that nothing happened. Oops.

His cheek sank into the soft pillow, causing him to keep one eye closed as he continued scrolling, trying to get that interaction out of his head. But apparently, it’s not like _that_ would happen sometime soon, because he got yet another notification from this Crow guy. Oh, joy.

Crow  
@castlingcrows

replying to @jokersjest

Dogs are too loud? If anything, cats are the loud ones. When they start begging for food, they practically become tiny ambulance sirens?? Also, yeah, still wouldn’t put up with a cat.

❤ 0 5:33 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

For how hard he tried to resist laughing at Crow’s response, he still couldn’t stop himself. Tiny ambulance sirens? Honestly, he wasn’t wrong either. He had a cat, he could confirm that they yelled _a lot_ , but he found it cute more than anything. Obviously, this guy didn’t think the same.

Well, fair enough.

akiwa kuwusu  
@jokersjest

replying to @castlingcrows

agree to disagree then LMAO i find it super startling when dogs start barking for some reason, im always like “what happened?? who are you barking at??? you see a ghost or sumn???” but with cats its just. they’re much quieter I love them vvv much

❤ 0 5:35 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

Huh, maybe that was time enough for him to get his ass out of bed already. He hated every moment of trying to sit up properly because it meant that he had to gently move Morgana, then actually leave the purring comfort of his cat’s fur, but he forced himself to do it anyways. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought about his plans for today. Did he want to go the productive route and actually do something, or did he just want to laze around and waste his day away online?

He pondered over it as he made breakfast, but he honestly didn’t really feel like doing anything. There’s nothing urgent to be done, nothing that he needed to attend to. Huh. Maybe he _could_ just get away with doing nothing the whole day. Not like Morgana’s gonna judge him either.

Ren sat back onto his bed, shoving some fried egg into his mouth as he turned his phone back on. This time, he wasn’t too surprised when he got a reply back from Crow.

Crow  
@castlingcrows

replying to @jokersjest

Agree to disagree, indeed. I suppose it’s just a matter of preference, isn’t it?? Though, for the record… your cat is quite cute

❤ 0 5:39 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

Well, that made Ren feel _incredibly smug_. He typed back a quick response, unable to help the proud smile on his face.

akiwa kuwusu  
@jokersjest

replying to @castlingcrows

YES i win !! morgana’s the sweetest cat though, sometimes id be having a hard time while working on something and he’d just come up to me with his cute little meows practically begging to be pet. you can’t tell me that isn’t the cutest thing ever !!

❤ 0 5:52 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

His apparent victory boosted his mood a hundred times over. He knew that Crow wouldn’t have been able to resist Morgana for too long, even if he disliked cats. His cat seemed to have that effect on people, honestly. Ryuji was the biggest dog lover he knew and even _he_ seemed to dote on Mona from time to time.

Maybe he’d get along well with this Crow guy, considering how much they both love their dogs. Though, he also seemed to be a bit uptight for Ryuji’s liking, so maybe not.

Crow  
@castlingcrows

replying to @jokersjest

What do you mean you’ve won?? Your cat definitely sounds quite sweet, but Loki’s sweeter in my opinion. He always seems super excited to greet me when I come back from work, you should see how fast his tail wags.

❤ 0 5:55 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

... Loki?

That was quite a badass name for a dog. Ren digs it, honestly. It sounds like a name you’d give to a larger looking dog, like a Doberman. A Crow and a Doberman… Snrk.

akiwa kuwusu  
@jokersjest

replying to @castlingcrows

his name is loki???? that’s amazing SDJHSDKG morgana’s still the cutest in my heart tho, no matter how fast ur dogs tail wags <33

❤ 0 5:58 PM • July 27, 20XX

0 people are talking about this

As soon as he sent that, he had a thought. He didn’t know _when_ it happened, but sometime during this entire conversation, he actually began looking forward to Crow’s responses. This dude was snarky as fuck and definitely liked disagreeing with him, but despite his ungodly typing style, he still found himself wanting to know more about him. Huh.

Should… Should he take this to DMs? Is that too bold? Would that scare this guy off? Actually, considering how willing he was to reply to a complete stranger and start arguing about why dogs were better, sliding into his messages shouldn’t be _too_ bad.

Just as he was about to go ahead and do it already, he was interrupted by another notification.

Oh.

Was Crow seriously slipping into _his_ DMs instead? Damn, he works fast. Ren had to wonder why he doubted himself in the first place, this guy seemed to be bolder than he was.

  
Sorry for messaging you so suddenly, but I forgot we were still talking in a thread. I thought talking here might be better  
Anyways, I’ll admit that I was initially going to get a larger dog like an Akita but I saw the cutest little Shiba Inu at the animal shelter and I couldn’t resist  
  


Oh, wow. Maybe he shouldn’t have just assumed based off of the dog’s name, but he was so sure that Crow would have a larger breed.

Wait… A Shiba Inu puppy named Loki?

He immediately lost it, muffling his laughter into his hand. The thought was honestly incredibly adorable, but it caught him so off guard to the point that it was hilarious.

a shiba inu, huh?? :00  
  
you have a soft spot for puppy dog eyes, don’t you?? that’s adorable AJHSKJGS  
  
… I hope you’re not teasing me  
  
I’m not !! don’t worry  
  
Good, I’m glad to hear it  
  
Also, I wanted to send this here instead of posting it in the thread  
  
[](https://i.imgur.com/SosNtMw.png)  
  
Isn’t he so much cuter and sweeter?  
  


Holy shit.

Holy fuck.

Ren wasn’t even looking at the dog anymore. It was cute, yes, but he was currently more than a bit breathless because of the _person_ holding the dog. Crow’s jaw was sharp and his cheekbones were high, giving his face an angular appearance, but the softness of his cheeks balanced it out perfectly. He was– he was _winking,_ who the fuck allowed him to do that? Combined with that dumb smirk of his, Ren could practically hear him saying ‘I told you so’.

Fuck, he was hot.

i think you’re even cuter honestly  
  


Sending that message was a mistake. Why did he say that?!

Huh? What do you mean?  
  


Well, he’s not taking it back now.

you’re really attractive !!  
  
that sweater vest looks like u got it out of ur grandpa’s closet but somehow u make it look really good ajhdsksf  
  
Oh, well… Thank you for the compliment  
  
You’re definitely not the first person to say that about my fashion sense though, haha  
  
seriously?? LMAO  
  
I’ve even heard it referred to as ‘grandpa chic’  
  
oh my GOD AJHSKDJSG  
  
oh wait uh. just realized that I should probably introduce myself whOOPS  
  
you can call me akira !!  
  
Oh, you’re right. Sorry, I didn’t remember either  
  
I’m not too fond of sharing my name, so call me Crow.  
  
LMAO no worries, akira’s not my real name either tbh, I prefer using different names online  
  
Well, glad we both have that in common  
  
Ah  
  
I have to get going now unfortunately, but I hope we can talk again soon. You’re quite an interesting conversation partner.  
  
aweeee im glad you think so !!  
  
stay safe crow, talk to you later  
  
Later, Akira

When Ren finally closed the chat, he found that the conversation had him grinning the entire time. Definitely not how he was expecting to start off the day, but this was a really pleasant surprise, if he was being honest. It’s possible that he just made a new friend, how could he _not_ be excited?

And also… He just couldn’t get that picture out of his head. How the fuck did he make that dorky looking sweater vest look so good? How did _he_ look so good? Ren was surprised that he didn’t fucking flat-line the moment he saw how handsome Crow really was. His hair was long enough to be tied into a pony tail too, which should be illegal, honestly. It was a crime to look that hot. He found himself feeling the urge to run his hands through Crow’s hair – he wanted to find out if it felt as soft as it looked.

God, he was so fucked.

It didn’t take long for them to find more things to bond over. They got close fairly quickly when they found out that they both share an interest in Featherman, which meant that they talked way more often. If Ren was being honest, he was starting to fall for this guy. The more he found out about him, the harder he fell. They even shared their real first names at some point, which was quite a big step, considering how secretive Crow – no, Goro – seemed to be.

Sometimes, Ren actually had to restrain himself from texting Goro about something else, or sending him some sort of funny tweet, just to be able to talk to him a bit longer. It’s not like he could help it, the man was just so damn _interesting._ He wanted to know all about the tinier, lesser known details about him. What did he think about when he had nothing to do? What was his happiest moment? What was his saddest? What came to mind when he thought of an ‘ideal future’?

Those questions didn’t even cover everything he was curious about.

This is probably why he found himself staring at last night’s messages, wondering if he should start up another conversation. _Maybe he’s busy, unlike you,_ Ren thought. _Maybe he doesn’t want you bombarding him with messages in every waking moment._

He heaved a sigh.

Then he re-read last night’s messages again.

while we’re already on the topic of planetariums, how would u feel about,,  
  
ajhdksfj wait that might be too bold of a question  
  
No, please complete your question  
  
I’m quite curious now  
  
well  
  
aaaaaaaaaaa  
  
we’ve been talking for a while and even live relatively nearby so I was wondering if  
  
you’d wanna visit one together someday?? only if ur comfortable with meeting up ajkhsgsd  
  
Oh?  
  
I'd love to  
  
I’ll admit, I haven’t been to a planetarium since I was a kid so this should be fun  
  
!!!!!!  
  
I’m so glad u want to !! how about uh  
  
are you free sometime next week or the week after  
  
I am free next week, actually  
  
How does Friday sound?  
  
that’s perfect !!  
  
I gotta go make myself dinner bc im starving but  
  
im very excited  
  
Haha, I am too  
  
Eat well, Ren.  
  
i will !!

Ren was still in mild disbelief, honestly. Goro had agreed so easily – he seriously thought he’d have to try harder than that, but he wasn’t complaining at all. Maybe the anticipation was also why he was so restless. He just couldn’t wait to see Goro for the first time, but in the same vein, if he actually saw someone _that_ handsome in person, he might just pass out.

At least he’d be going out happily?

He dropped his phone onto the bed and buried his face into his hands, groaning loudly. It was times like these that he made him feel glad he lived alone – thank god there was no one to hear or see him like this.

Fuck, he’ll just do it. And he was going to be bold while he was already at it, what’s the worst that can happen?

I wonder if we’ll be able to see anything at all at the planetarium   
  
it seems like all the stars in the sky are in ur eyes  
  


His heart felt like it was gonna jump out of his chest. Fuck, he’s gonna give himself a heart attack.

Ren immediately clicked out of the chat, trying as hard as he could to calm himself down while just scrolling through the timeline, as he usually does. He had no clue that there was some sort of fandom event happening today – he’s been seeing a ton of new Featherman art. That’s always a pleasant sight, especially any art of Grey Pigeon. He recently found out that Goro’s favourite character was also Grey Pigeon, so of course, it ended up being the topic of yet another abnormally long conversation.

Wait, he’s thinking of Goro again. _Great job distracting yourself, Ren!_

He let himself fall onto his back, cushioned by the soft bed covers as he stared up at the ceiling. He really was smitten, huh? Ren could barely get him out of his head, and when he _did_ succeed, Goro was suddenly there again within a matter of minutes. Ugh, why’s he getting feelings for someone _now_ of all times? It hasn’t been this bad in years—

Oh, fuck.

Ren got a notification telling him that Goro responded, and of course, he promptly dropped his phone onto his face. Ow… He hoped he didn’t injure his nose.

He grabbed his phone again and, after rolling onto his side to avoid having a repeat of that, finally decided to open the message.

Huh?  
  
What's this about?  
  


He was glad he could muffle his nervous yelling into his pillow.

i said what i said ;)  
  


Goro read the message immediately – he was probably waiting for Ren’s response, he noted absent-mindedly – and took a moment before the typing bubble popped up. Every second that passed as he stared at those three godforsaken dots seemed to drag on for way longer than they actually did.

... Well, I do imagine we’d be able to see the stars at the planetarium, given the fact that they’re artificial but  
  
I doubt they'd be as radiant as you  
  


Huh.

What?

Wait, he’s flirting back?! Hold on, he’s not emotionally ready for this at all!

He knew his face was burning right now, but he tried his best to ignore it and compose himself. Holy fuck, he never knew that someone could fluster him _this_ bad. Okay Ren, breathe, just flirt back. Don’t back down from this so quickly.

well, I never knew my life had a purpose until I gazed into ur eyes  
  
Oh yeah? Did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?  
  


Oh god, was this actually happening? Were they just going to go back and forth like this?

hJFDSHFK are you http? bc without u im just ://  
  
If nothing lasts forever, will you be my nothing?  
  
AAAAA???? you must be a magician because when I look ur way, everyone else disappears  
  
Really? Then can I have directions to your heart?  
  
AJHDSKFJHDSG  
  


That was the only thing he sent before smacking his phone face-down onto the bed, grabbing his pillow and screaming into it.

After a moment, he tossed the pillow across the room and picked his phone back up to respond when it hit the wall with a soft noise. Everything was fine, nothing happened. He was totally calm right now.

I CANT GIVE THEM TO YOU, YOU STOLE IT  
  
Haha, you’re getting flustered, aren’t you?  
  
How adorable  
  
shut upppppp aughjghdfkghdfjgfsg  
  
How flustered would you get if I cupped your face and said I could hold the entire world in my hands?  
  
.  
  
OKAY FINE YOU WIN  
  
Aah, that gave me a good laugh  
  
You’re surprisingly easy to embarrass, it’s cute.  
  
im so getting back at you for this  
  
I'd like to see you try ;)  
  
I’LL BE DAMNED IF I DON’T TRY  
  
(ง'̀-'́)ง  
  


Fuck, he doesn’t have his pillow! Where did he toss it to when he needed it?

He turned off his phone and rubbed his face with his palms, whining quietly. That was so unfair, Goro took his victory so effortlessly. W _hy_ must Ren have the worst case of gay panic known to mankind? It’s as if Goro knew exactly which buttons to press just by instinct alone.

Ren doesn’t think he’ll make it out of the planetarium alive.

He couldn’t stop looking over at his watch while on the train.

How long until he got off? They announced that they were nearing the station, but it sure as fuck didn’t seem like it. Every second dragged on for hours and hours, leaving him tapping his foot impatiently and constantly checking outside the glass of the train door to see if they’ve made it.

Eventually, the vehicle lost speed and came to a stop, and the doors opened. He was the first one out, unwilling to spend a minute longer in there. He was in a hurry.

He’s been waiting to meet Goro for so, _so_ painfully long, of course he’s not gonna delay it for longer than necessary. He was already running a bit late because of train delays, but at least it wasn’t by a lot. He knew Goro would understand.

Ren was glad that the planetarium wasn’t too far from here. He’s only been there a handful of times before with friends, though he still managed to remember the way there.

Now that he thought about it, Ren had no clue how he’d react to meeting Goro. Would he keep his cool? Would he end up pulling him into a hug? Would he panic and trip all over himself? Who knows! But he really fucking hoped for his own sake that he didn’t do anything too embarrassing, there’s no way Goro would let him live it down.

He felt his breath hitch when he finally turned the corner. The planetarium was across the road, and he could already see Goro waiting for him outside, busying himself with something on his phone. Don’t get him started on Goro’s _outfit_ ; he was wearing dark, straight-leg jeans that cut off just a bit above his ankle, coupled with a white silk button-down tucked in. He wasn’t wearing one of his dorky sweater vests like Ren was expecting him to, instead deciding to switch it out for an unbuttoned trench coat. He even had his hair tied in that god damn ponytail.

Ren actually forgot to breathe for a moment.

He wrung his hands nervously and took a deep breath to make up for it, then made his way over.

“Goro!”

That made him look up from his phone. Goro’s eyes lit up with recognition and he quickly pocketed his phone, taking the last few steps needed to close the distance between them and bring Ren into a quick hug.

“You made it.” He pulled back from the hug way too fast for Ren’s liking, but being able to see his face in person more than made up for it. Goro’s eyes were even more breath-taking like this.

“Mmhm, I’m so happy to see you,” Ren admitted with a wide smile on his face. “Why don’t we go inside? The show’s about to start, after all.”

He offered Goro his hand, wondering if he was being too bold right after doing it, but thankfully he took Ren’s hand and intertwined their fingers together. He pulled Goro into the venue and took a spot in line, waiting to get their tickets.

Surprisingly enough, it didn’t take that long for them to get their turn. They made quick work of it, and before they knew it, they were taking their seats inside the dome theater.

“Ohh, this is so exciting!” Ren whispered. Goro laughed under his breath, sitting next to him and leaning back.

“I’m really excited too. I can’t remember what it was like when I went to the planetarium as a child, so this is a sort of first for me.”

“Well, I’m happy I could be here with you for this,” he responded, looking over at Goro with a small smile on his face. Maybe that was an understatement; he was _extremely_ happy that he could be with Goro right now.

He watched as a bright grin spread across Goro’s lips. His eyes looked almost… _fond_ , as he gazed at Ren. Goro said nothing and turned his attention upwards.

Even still, Ren continued staring at him. He took his time drinking in every detail he could see – his gaze flitted from Goro’s beautiful, almond eyes, to the gentle curve of his nose and the softness of his cheeks, then down to his lips. His full, rosy lips that looked _extremely_ soft. Kissable, even.

God, Ren was so smitten.

A small upturn of the lips remained on Goro’s expression, even as he kept his gaze forward. He glanced over at Ren, then chuckled in a way that made it seem as though he confirmed some sort of suspicion. Did he feel Ren’s eyes on him? Oops.

He turned his eyes away, pretending that nothing happened as the show began. Goro was still smiling, but he didn’t dare say a word about it either.

From then on, he was too distracted to think about anything else. The show opened with the projection of a stunning galaxy, followed by a female voice that began narrating while the projected images and videos played. At some points, he could hardly even keep up with the narration because of how utterly breathtaking the sights were.

He felt something touch his hand and jumped in his seat. When he looked over, he noticed that Goro had moved his hand closer at some point, knuckles just about brushing the back of Ren’s hand. Was that intentional, or…?

Goro’s attention was still focused on the show, but he moved his hand even closer, placing it over Ren’s. It was such a gentle touch, yet so deliberate. He grinned to himself, moving his own hand to intertwine his fingers with Goro’s. His eyes seemed to widen for a split second at Ren’s action, though his expression quickly relaxed.

Ren bit his lip to suppress a smile, then squeezed Goro’s hand. He felt Goro squeeze back.

He ignored the way his heart was racing, and decided to focus on the show instead.

“… Spirals are usually composed of a bright nucleus, and two spiral arms extending outwards from the galaxy’s center…”

The voiceover was incredibly soothing, especially when combined with the soft stroking of Goro’s thumb over his hand. He didn’t know when Goro began doing that, but he definitely wasn’t going to complain. His heart felt so at peace, he wanted to stay here like this with him forever…

Hm. Ren did say he was going to get back at him soon, didn’t he?

Taking a deep breath to calm his increasingly quickening heartbeat, he leaned in closer to Goro. That got the other man’s attention, causing him to glance over at him curiously.

“Hey, Goro?” he started, quieter than a whisper.

“Mm?”

Ren made eye contact with Goro, speaking softly. “I feel like this is fitting for the current moment… I really like you.”

He heard Goro’s breath hitch. His eyes widened as he blinked back at Ren, but surprise quickly made way for joy. Ren’s never seen a smile this big and bright on him before, and knowing that he was the one who caused it made the butterflies in his stomach go wild.

“I really like you too,” he breathed back, squeezing Ren’s hand tight.

Ren was sure both of their cheeks were flushed at this point, but he’s never felt happier. He knew, at this moment, that this was the start of something truly beautiful.

And if he teased Goro later on about how he succeeded in getting back at him after all, it was nobody’s business but theirs.

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY WOW can i just say that this fic took so much effort within the span of just 3 days??? i speed-ran this so hard, i have no clue how im still alive but im so happy that i could finally share this with you all !! very proud of this fic, first try coding tweets and messages into a fic too so i hope that was a nice touch ;;w;; !!
> 
> if you spot any inconsistencies, grammar/spelling mistakes or errors in coding/glitches, please let me know and i'll fix it asap !! thank you so much for reading <333
> 
> edit: i forgot to include credits for the code !! here's what i used if you're interested in adding [tweets](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22517134/chapters/53806336) or [messages](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6434845/chapters/14729722) to ur own fics nwn


End file.
